Institute for Challenging Disorganization

What Institute for Challenging Disorganization does

The Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization, founded in 1989 by Judith Kolberg as the National Study Group for Chronic Disorganization and re-established under its current name in 2001, headquartered in Larchmont, NY. ICD's core function is certifying and educating professional organizers, productivity consultants, and related professionals who serve clients affected by chronic disorganization and co-occurring brain-based conditions including ADHD, anxiety, depression, hoarding disorder, PTSD, and TBI. Its product stack comprises a four-level credentialing ladder (Foundation Certificate, Specialist Certificates, CPO-CD, Master Trainer) plus the CVOP and Hoarding Certificates, proprietary assessment tools (Clutter-Hoarding Scale and Clutter Quality of Life Scale, translated into 9 languages), and a content library of 240+ recorded classes with up to 40 live classes delivered annually through the ICD Vault learning management system.

ICD operates a subscription-based business model with annual fees ranging from $99 (Emeritus) to $450 (Premium Plus + Foundation Certificate), supplemented by per-class fees ($39), a $250 Hoarding Certificate package for non-subscribers, conference revenue (full pass $800; single days $195–$450; pre-conference workshops $125), and donations. Distribution occurs through its website, the Find a Professional public directory that channels client referrals only to certified subscribers, reciprocal referral partnerships with peer organizer associations (NAPO, POC, NBPO, APDO, JALO), and an International Committee driving content localization across Dutch, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German, and Japanese. ICD supplements its commercial programming with a research grant program and collaborations with DePaul University, University of New Mexico, Portland State, and Lewis & Clark.

The organization runs lean, with three named staff directors (Certification and Services, Subscriber Relations, Research), an elected president and president-elect, and substantial reliance on volunteers evidenced by annual Volunteer of the Year and Exemplary Leadership awards. The International Committee, formed in 2019, signals systematic global expansion through volunteer-led localization, while the 2025 launch of an International Foundation Certificate en Español and the 2026 conference hosted in Mississauga, ON indicate measured North American and international growth rather than rapid scaling.

Name

Institute for Challenging Disorganization

Legal name

Institute for Challenging Disorganization

Website

https://challengingdisorganization.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that certifies and educates professional organizers and related professionals serving clients with chronic disorganization through a multi-tier credentialing program, proprietary assessment tools, and a subscription learning management system available in 7+ languages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Education and Certification Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Educational Support Services (61171), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Certification & Credentialed Creator Programs (MPACALAI)

Keywords

• Professional organizing education
• Chronic disorganization certification
• Hoarding disorder training
• Clutter assessment tools
• Continuing education credits

Headquarters

HQ city

Larchmont

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Subscription Memberships: Annual subscription fees providing access to live classes (up to 40/year), the ICD Vault learning management system, certificates, newsletters, ConnectUp peer groups, and the Find a Professional directory listing.
2. Conference and Events: Revenue from annual ICD conferences and pre-conference workshops. Full conference registration is $800 USD, with single-day options ranging from $195-$450 USD and pre-conference workshops at $125 USD.
3. Hoarding Certificate for Non-Subscribers: A 6-class package on working with clients with hoarding behavior, priced at $250, awarded to non-subscriber professionals in code enforcement, hoarding task forces, and senior housing positions.
4. Individual Class Registration: Per-class cost for non-subscribers at $39 per class for live educational sessions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ICD provides multi-level professional certification and continuing education programs for professional organizers working with clients affected by chronic disorganization. The core offerings include a four-level certificate program (Foundation, Specialist, CPO-CD, Master Trainer), specialized credentials (CVOP, Hoarding Certificate), proprietary assessment tools (Clutter-Hoarding Scale and Clutter Quality of Life Scale), and a subscription-based learning management system (ICD Vault) with 240+ recorded classes and up to 40 live classes per year.

Product overview

The Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD) is a nonprofit educational organization offering a multi-level certification and education ecosystem for professional organizers and related professionals. The portfolio includes four certification levels (Foundation Certificate, Specialist Certificates, CPO-CD, Master Trainer) plus CVOP and Hoarding Certificates, a subscription-based Learning Management System (ICD Vault) with 240+ recorded classes, live classes (up to 40/year), peer support ConnectUp Groups, and an annual conference. ICD provides two core assessment tools—the Clutter-Hoarding Scale (C-HS) and Clutter Quality of Life Scale (CQLS)—along with free fact sheets available in multiple languages. The membership structure includes Premium Plus + Foundation Certificate ($450/year), Premium ($400/year), and Emeritus ($99/year) tiers. ICD also operates a Find a Professional directory, publishes free educational resources, and runs a Research Grant Program supporting chronic disorganization studies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Level I Foundation Certificate of Study in Chronic Disorganization Entry-level certification program for professional organizers covering fundamentals of chronic disorganization, assessment tools, and intervention strategies.
• Level II Specialist Certificates Advanced certification for organizing professionals seeking specialized expertise in specific areas of chronic disorganization.
• CPO-CD Certification (Level III) Certified Professional Organizer - Chronic Disorganization (CPO-CD) professional certification designation recognizing expertise in serving clients affected by chronic disorganization.
• Master Trainer (Level V) Advanced credential for ICD professionals authorized to train and certify other organizers in ICD methodologies.
• CVOP (Certified Virtual Organizer Professional) Certificate Specialized certification for professionals providing organizing services remotely to clients with chronic disorganization.
• Hoarding Certificate for Professionals Certificate program for professionals in code enforcement, hoarding task forces, senior housing, and related fields who encounter hoarding situations, delivered as a 6-class package.
• International Foundation Certificate en Español Spanish-language version of the Foundation Certificate, making ICD education accessible to Spanish-speaking professional organizers with included classes, mentor support, and Find an Organizer directory listing for graduates.
• ICD Clutter-Hoarding Scale (C-HS) Proprietary objective assessment tool for professional organizers and related professionals to evaluate the quantity of items in a home and discuss living situations, available in 9 languages including English, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, French, German, Japanese, and Russian.
• ICD Clutter Quality of Life Scale (CQLS) Proprietary subjective assessment tool consisting of 18 questions that help individuals and professionals understand how clutter affects daily life and well-being across important life domains, available in multiple languages.
• Annual ICD Conference In-person educational conference for organizing professionals featuring education on ADHD, Aging, Autism, Hoarding, Research, Time Management, and Trauma, held annually (2026 edition in Mississauga, ON, Canada).

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DePaul UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing research collaboration with graduate students in Psychology at DePaul University, Chicago. Multiple research grants awarded including studies on clutter and varied environments, adult subgroups and clutter, and quality of life research. Students present findings at ICD conferences.
• The Hoarding ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on 'The Impact of Hoarding Cleanouts' white paper. The Hoarding Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing education, research, and treatment for people who hoard, their families, and communities.
• Catherine A. Roster, PhD, MBAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration with Professor of Marketing and Information Decision Sciences at University of New Mexico. Collaborated on 'Psychological Perception of Home' study using CQLS scale, 'Having Less' taxonomy research, and 'Safe Passage Strategies' study.
• Dr. Joseph FerraricoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Distinguished Professor at DePaul University on multiple research projects including 'Having Less' decluttering orientation taxonomy published in Journal of Consumer Affairs.
• Portland State University School of Social WorkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on 'My Clutter, My Story' Photovoice study exploring quality of life for people with hoarding behavior, conducted by MSW students.
• Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and CounselingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on 'Clutter Support Group for Individuals with Chronic Disorganization' qualitative study on benefits of support groups for chronically disorganized individuals.
• Japan Association of Life Organizers (JALO)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJALO hosts translated Japanese versions of ICD resources including Clutter-Hoarding Scale and Clutter Quality of Life Scale on their website, distributing ICD materials to Japanese-speaking audiences.
• Research Advisory Council MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistinguished experts including Ari Tuckman (PsyD), Catherine Roster (PhD), Carol Berns (PsyD), Satwant Singh (DPsych), and Sarah Butler (PhD) serve as ambassadors connecting ICD with scholars and practitioners across various fields.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO): The primary US professional association for organizers and productivity consultants. NAPO offers broader generalist organizing certification (CPO) compared to ICD's chronic disorganization specialization, and the two organizations maintain a referral partnership.
• Japan Association of Life Organizers (JALO): Japanese national association of professional organizers. JALO partners with ICD by hosting Japanese translations of C-HS and CQLS on its website, functioning as a regional peer with significant content overlap.
• Professional Organizers in Canada (POC): Canadian national organizer association serving the host geography for ICD's 2026 conference. POC overlaps with ICD on professional development, certification, and conference programming for organizing professionals.
• Association of Professional Declutters and Organisers (APDO): UK-based national organizing association with international partnership to ICD. APDO provides generalist organizing credentials for UK members while ICD provides CD specialization, making them complementary credentialing bodies.
• Nederlandse Beroepsvereniging van Professional Organizers (NBPO): Dutch professional organizer association listed as an ICD international partner. NBPO represents the Dutch organizing community that consumes ICD's translated assessment tools and educational content.

Emerging players

• The Hoarding Project: 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing education, research, and treatment for people who hoard. The Hoarding Project is a strategic research partner of ICD with overlapping mission focus on hoarding behavior, though it is treatment-oriented rather than organizer-credentialing.
• ADDitude Magazine / ADHD Coaches Organization (ACO): ADHD-focused coaching credentialing body. ICD's ADHD-100 free class and related content overlap with ACO's specialty area; both target professionals working with ADHD populations and could be perceived as substitutes by ADHD-focused subscribers.
• Decluttering and Organizing Coach Certification Programs (various private): The broader ecosystem of private coach certification programs in decluttering and organizing. While individually smaller than ICD, collectively they represent a fragmented competitive set competing for the same cohort of professionals seeking credentials.

Broad incumbents

• International Coaching Federation (ICF): Largest global credentialing body for professional coaches. Several ICD leadership members hold coaching credentials (e.g., Sara Skillen, PCC), and ICD's CVOP certificate competes in an adjacent space where ICF already has dominant market position.

Regional players

• Hoarding Disorders Alliance / OCD & Hoarding Centers: Clinical treatment-focused organizations addressing hoarding disorder. These represent a different value chain position (clinical treatment vs. professional organizing) but share ICD's end-user population of individuals with hoarding behavior.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/icd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-challenging-disorganization

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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